I have always made doughnut muffins for my children and family, and they have always loved them. Much, much easier than rolling and frying doughnuts, and to be honest there is not really that much difference in flavour.
Sometimes I make them plain, with no filling and just rolling them in the butter and cinnamon.
Other times I like to dab a bit of fruit preserves or lemon curd in the middle. Absolutely delicious!
Still yet, at other times I add a dab of nutella, or creamy dulce de leche. Scrummy yummy!!
It seemed only natural that, at Christmas, I would adapt my recipe a bit and fill them with one of my favourite holiday ingredients, mincemeat.
The shops over here have mincemeat available pretty much the whole year through, but at Christmas it seems that it is something that I just can't seem to get enough of.
These muffins are deliciously moist with a wonderfully spicy mincemeat centre, that will have your family and guests oohing and ahhing and scrambling for just one more.
In fact . . . I think you better bake two dozen . . . just to be sure you have enough.
These are fabulously wonderful!!! Would I lie? Never!!!
*Christmas Morning Doughnut Muffins*
Makes 12 medium to large muffins
Printable Recipe
Moist and spicy, with a tasty dab of delicious mincmeat hidden in the centre, and a buttery cinnamon sugar coating. Wonderful with a nice warm cuppa on Christmas morning!
For the muffins:
6 ounces butter, at room temperature
200g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
420g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 heaped tsp of mixed spice
1 tsp vanilla paste
8 ounces soured milk
(To sour place 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup and add the milk
to measure 8 ounces)
To fill:
storebought or homemade mincemeat
For dipping:
4 ounces butter, melted (more as needed)
200g caster sugar
1 TBS ground cinnamon
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease and flour a standard 12 cup medium sized muffin tin. Set aside.
Cream the butter and golden caster sugar together until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla paste. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mixed spice. With a wooden spoon add this mixture a quarter at a time to the egg mixture, alternating with the sour milk, until all are mixed, ending with the dry ingredients. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups to fill halfway. Dab a teaspoon of mincemeat into the centre of each, trying not to touch the sides. Top with the remaining batter, covering the mincemeat. Bake on a rack in the centre of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and dump onto a wire rack to cool for several minutes.
Whisk the caster sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Place the melted butter in another bowl. Once the muffins are cool enough to handle comfortabely, roll them in the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious!
